5 things you didn't know about Ilja Dragunov

#3 The WWE star became a wrestler by accident

Dragunov faced Ohno early on in his WWE career

Oddly enough, wrestling just fell into place for Ilja Dragunov. Having worked at a pizzeria and a gas station, it's incredible to think that the Russian had no real aspirations of wrestling in WWE early on - but once Ilja got into wrestling, determination has taken him to the very top.

Basically everything I do in my life, whether it's professionally or concerning my family, whatever I begin, everything that fuels me with passion, it's what I'll be invested in long-term.

So wrestling came into my life - I don't feel like I chose wrestling, wrestling chose me - and when I had realised that, I thought, "Okay, it's what I enjoy, that's what fuels me, that awakens something inside of me. So, to me, there was no other option than investing everything into it. That's all I can do."

Dragunov even goes on to say he didn't have any goals when he started out as he only follows his emotions, and he's a self-confessed emotional person.

I always follow a path without actually knowing where I am going. But I am happier and more surprised about what happened because I didn't see it coming.

I don't dwell on defined goals. It was my goal to stand in that ring, give my best, to always deliver, and always push myself to the limit. And that gave me the complete and utter confidence that whatever I'll do, I'll end up somewhere. And it'll be something positive. No matter how much c**p I have to eat on this way.